Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Happy reading!

Chapter Eighty Four

"Casey!"

Matt ducked down when he heard the familiar voice filter out of the car they were standing around, the Captain looking through the broken window to find the eyes of his wife on him, Gabby keeping her hand placed firmly over the bleeding wound on the victim's stomach.

"How much longer till we can get her out?"

He could hear the slight desperation in his wife's voice, Matt keeping his expression calm despite the nerves he felt rushing through his system, the firefighter not liking the current situation they'd found themselves in.

When they pulled up to the car accident on this bridge nearly fifteen minutes ago, all of them could tell it had been a pretty rough crash. The car they were currently surrounding had appeared to be hit pretty hard from the back, the other driver having fled the scene before they arrived, leaving the woman in pretty rough shape. It was impossible for them to know the extent of the accident, but with as damaged as the car was, they could only imagine this woman had crashed into the railing pretty hard.

When Casey got ahold of the scene in front of him, it had quickly become clear to him that they'd need to get a paramedic in that car. For as damaged as the frame was, they needed someone in there to stabilize the victim while they worked on finding a way to get her out safely. But before he could even ask, Gabby had stepped up, his wife knowing what he was about to say before he got the chance to. And while her being the one to go in the smoking car wasn't his first choice, he'd never try and stop her from doing her job. So between him and Herrmann, they'd gotten her lifted into the car, Gabby maneuvering the crushed metal as she did what she could to help keep this woman stable.

And, to her credit, she'd done a great job, although that wasn't surprising. The victim was unconscious, which, considering her extensive injuries, Matt couldn't help but think that was for the best, but Gabby had done everything she needed to do to get her stabilized, and now she was just waiting on her husband and his firefighters to help get both of them out.

"We're almost there, Dawson." He replied, flashing her a supportive smile before looking back across the vehicle for a split second, seeing his firefighters working diligently, while Brett and Foster waited close by with the gurney, ready to get the victim to the hospital.

Gabby nodded before looking back towards the woman, Matt seeing the sweat glistening across her skin, the temperature inside the car getting hotter and hotter, his softened gaze hardening slightly when he noticed the blood on her face. It wasn't hers, but it was unsettling nonetheless, Casey swallowing thickly before standing back up, his rigid gaze focused on his firefighters.

"Let's speed this up." He barked, the men and women nodding as they continued to work.

They knew their Captain was feeling a little uneasy. That Dawson being the one inside this car had left him on edge, and how the tension radiating off of him probably wouldn't go away until their paramedic was safely out of the car.

Coughing from inside the vehicle grabbed Matt's attention, the Captain bending back down quickly, seeing smoke beginning to push out of the vents on the dashboard. It wasn't much, but smoke was smoke, and Gabby being in the vehicle unprotected from that left a heavy feeling in his gut.

"Mouch, get the extinguisher ready!" He ordered, placing his hands on the door frame as Gabby coughed again, Matt watching her hide her mouth against her arm. "We're almost done, Gabby." He murmured just loud enough for his wife to hear him, his tough Captain exterior long gone as Gabby nodded, the frown on his lips being replaced by a look of relief as they finally got the crushed car apart, creating enough of a hole to get the backboard in there and get both the victim and Gabby out safely.

Things began moving quickly after that, Casey sounding off orders as he came around towards their side of the car, his firefighters getting the unconscious woman out of the car and onto the bed, Brett and Foster immediately going to work.

The second the woman was clear, Matt pushed his way towards the car, reaching in to help Gabby out as quickly as possible, her rough coughing only continuing to worry him as he pulled her to solid ground. He got her as far away from the vehicle as he could, Mouch working on extinguishing the smoke now that Dawson was clear, Casey keeping his hands on her arms as she took a slow breath.

He saw her eyes darting past him, Matt knowing she was looking back towards the other paramedics who were currently working on the injured woman.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked softly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

But she didn't respond to him, Gabby unable to tear her gaze away from the limp woman strapped to their gurney.

"...Gabby."

Her eyes snapped into focus, Dawson looking up towards her husband, seeing his obvious concern shining back at her.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" He asked again, his glove covered hand stroking her arm, Gabby giving him a quick nod, watching as his eyes trailed over her face.

"I'm fine." She replied, her own voice sounding foreign to her before she cleared her dry throat, Matt nodding as he raised his hand up towards her face, doing what he could to wipe some of the blood off her forehead, the firefighter making sure to not press too hard into her skin.

There was quite a bit of soot covering her face, the smoke hitting her in the car having mixed with the sweat on her skin, but Matt knew his glove could only do so much, the firefighter meeting her eyes as he dropped his hand back down to her arm. "You sure?"

"Mhmm." She replied, giving him a small smile. "How could I not be? I had the best Captain looking out for me." She added lightly, trying to ease the tension of the situation, Matt scoffing softly as he shook his head. "But really, I'm good." Gabby told him, her gaze moving back towards Brett and Foster.

He knew she was telling him the truth, he could tell from her body language. She was fine. She was a little rattled, but she was alright. It happened often in their line of work, that some calls just left more of a mark than others, and there was nothing wrong with that. From what he could tell, this was nothing more than that; this call had shaken her more than one normally would, but in a few hours she'd be fine. She just needed some time and she'd be good. Everyone in the firehouse had calls like that, and he could tell from having a few seconds to look over her that that's all this was. But, just because he knew she'd be alright, that wouldn't stop him from keeping an eye on her the rest of the day.

"Alright… But physically, you're feeling okay?" He questioned, slipping back into the protective husband mode easily. "I know you breathed in some smoke, and you were kind of cramped in there, you didn't hurt anything, did you?" He continued, Matt taking a step back so he could get a better look at her, Gabby shaking her head as his eyes moved over her form.

"I feel fine." She responded, but he didn't give her any sign that told her he'd heard what she said, his eyebrows furrowed as he continued looking for any signs of injury. "...Babe." She spoke, Casey looking up. "I'm okay." She assured him, Matt taking a deep breath before nodding. "I gotta go… but I feel alright. I promise."

"Okay." He replied, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to the side of her head, Matt grimacing slightly as Gabby's usual scent was being overpowered by the smell of smoke. "But if you start to feel bad or sick or something…"

"I'll let you know." She told him before he could finish his thought, Matt smiling softly before giving her a nod, Gabby mimicking his action before she stepped away from him.

Casey watched her as she jogged towards the rig, his eyes following her until she disappeared into the back of the rig with Brett, Kidd closing up the doors before 61 pulled away, sirens blaring as they headed off towards med.

Blowing out a sigh, Casey shook his head, his eyes moving back towards his firefighters, seeing all of them working on getting the scene cleaned up. He hadn't meant to abandon them once they'd gotten everyone out, but he'd been a little preoccupied by the worry he felt for his wife during this call, it had distracted him a little bit. He knew he should've been more professional, that he should've focused on the job first. But he hadn't, and he couldn't really say he regretted it.

"Dawson okay, Captain?" Herrmann asked as Matt approached them, Casey nodding as he felt all their eyes on him.

"She's fine, as far as I can tell." Casey answered, his firefighters nodding as he moved to help them. "Let's get this cleaned up, so we can get out of here."

"You heard the Captain!" Herrmann called, waving his arm around in the air, Matt shaking his head in amusement before he got back to work, the men and women around him following suit.

Casey stretched out his neck as he stood at the coffee pot in the kitchen, the Captain needing a pick me up even though it was well into the afternoon, 51's busy day starting to catch up with him as he poured his umpteenth cup of coffee for the day. As he prepared his drink the way he liked it, he tried to shake out some of the exhaustion present in his body, Matt barely registering the chatter of the first responders around him, all of them taking the second to relax while they had it.

After taking a sip of his coffee to make sure it was just as he liked it, Matt turned to head back towards his seat next to Severide, the Captain not paying much attention to what was going on around him.

It wasn't until he heard an all too familiar noise that he realized 51 had some guests in the house, Matt's head snapping up when he heard his daughter's senseless babbling, his eyes landing on little Sofia who was being held in her grandfather's arms, Ramon walking into the common room.

"Ramon, hey." Casey greeted, haphazardly placing his coffee cup down on the table before moving to meet his father-in-law in the entrance to the room, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked between his daughter and Ramon, trying to see if there was an visible reason as to why they were here.

The visit wasn't unwelcome, but it definitely hadn't been planned, and Matt couldn't help but assume that something might've been wrong, as Ramon hadn't mentioned anything about coming by to visit the firehouse during his day with Sofia.

When the parents had been made aware of Ramon's day off from work, along with his desire to spend more quality time with his granddaughter, they quickly agreed to give Becca the day off, and let Ramon watch Sofia for the day and through the night. It was something they all were excited for, both Matt and Gabby knowing how much Ramon loved getting one on one time with their little girl. And Sofia loved it just as much. Though she was still a little too young to understand much of what went on around her, Sofia absolutely loved being with her grandfather. She would get almost as excited to see him as she would whenever she was around her parents, or Becca, and Matt and Gabby were glad she felt comfortable around Ramon. They were so happy their daughter was forming a strong bond with one of her grandparents, and the both of them were more than willing to let Sofia spend as much time as possible with him, but Matt couldn't help but think something might've happened for the elder Dawson to show up here unannounced.

But from first glance, Sofia seemed to be fine, the baby continuing to babble away as she took in her surroundings, the smallest Casey not having yet noticed her dad's presence.

"What are you guys doing here?" Matt asked as he got closer, Sofia's eyes widening when she registered the familiar sound of her father's voice, the baby beginning to get visibly excited as her eyes darted around until she saw him. Her excitement then went through the roof, Matt's smiling widening when Sofia reached her arms out towards him, sounds of joy escaping the little girl's lips as she became desperate to be in the arms of her father. "There's my girl." He murmured, grabbing ahold of Sofia under her arms as he secured her in his grip, the little girl immediately reaching for any part of him that she could, her tiny fists gripping the collar of his shirt as she bounced up and down in his arms.

"We were at the park just down the road, and I thought it would be fun to stop by." Ramon finally answered Matt's question, the firefighter giving him a nod as a few of his coworkers huddled around him, everyone always loving to see the baby.

When Sofia noticed a few of the unfamiliar faces around her, the little girl not with these people enough to be able to really remember most of them, she tightened her grip on her father's clothes, like she was trying to pull herself closer to him, Matt's white shirt no doubt getting wrinkled in the process, but he didn't mind, Casey rubbing his hand along his daughter's back as he looked to his father-in-law.

"How'd she do?" Matt asked, keeping a firm hold on his little girl as she continued bouncing in his arms, the father not wanting to risk her falling as she continued to mess with his shirt, the soft sounds of her babbling filling his ears.

"Oh, she did great." Ramon spoke with a proud grin. "We went on the swing, she had a great time."

"Yeah, she loves that." Matt replied, unable to stop his smile as well as he looked back towards his daughter. "You love swinging, huh?" He asked, rubbing gently over Sofia's back before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"She didn't really like being around other people, though." Ramon added, Matt nodding as his eyes moved from him back to his baby. "She seemed to get a little clingy when other people were around."

"Yeah, she's going through that phase." Matt replied, Ramon nodding as he stepped further into the room, Casey offering to take the diaper bag from him.

"Little Sofia doesn't like being around strangers, huh?" Herrmann asked from the couch, Matt turning around as Ramon headed that way, the older Dawson greeting the older firefighter before sitting down next to him. "I remember that stage well." He added with a chuckle, Matt nodding as he placed the diaper bag down on the long table, the Captain leaning against the furniture as he felt Sofia continue to play with his collar.

"Mhmm… she's definitely at that stage." Casey agreed, rubbing his hand softly up and down Sofia's back as she held onto him.

He and Gabby had noticed it starting a few weeks ago, but now at eight months old, Sofia's hesitance around unfamiliar people had seemed to really hit its stride. They knew it was normal, that a lot of babies developed some stranger anxiety, especially around this age, but it had definitely hit Sofia out of nowhere. Aside from himself, Gabby, Becca, Ramon, Jemma, and occasionally Severide, Sofia didn't want to be around anyone else. And she especially didn't want to be held by anyone else.

Whenever in a large group, or when they were out in public with a lot of people around, she would cling to one of the few she felt comfortable with, although she was always most at ease with her parents, or Becca. But even now, with just a few firefighters around, Matt could feel how tightly Sofia was holding onto him, like she was only comfortable when she was as close to her dad as possible.

It hadn't gotten to the point where she would cry or start to scream if others tried to hold her, but she definitely didn't like it. She would fuss, and pull away from anyone who wasn't her parents, or someone she felt safe with. So Matt and Gabby didn't force it, they didn't make her go to anyone she didn't want to be held by. They knew this was just a phase they had to work through, that there'd be times where she only wanted him, or Gabby, or Becca. It wasn't anything they were worried about, but Matt did feel bad whenever Sofia was around too many people, because he knew it stressed her out.

"She sure is." Severide huffed out from the other table, the Lieutenant getting up and walking towards Casey. "Let's see, are you gonna like me today, Sof?" He asked as he got closer, Matt raising his eyebrows as he looked between Sofia and Kelly, all eyes in the room on them as Severide walked up to the baby.

Sofia didn't seem to notice him at first, but when he held his hands out as if he was wanting to hold her, the little girl immediately shied away from him, Sofia digging her head into her father's neck, curling her small body into his chest and turning away from the firefighter.

The reaction got a few laughs from around the room, Kelly shaking his head as Matt bit back a smirk, Casey holding onto his daughter a little tighter as she hid against his neck.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" He asked, shaking his head as he sat next to Casey on the table, Sofia occasionally peeking out from the safety of her father's embrace, but she never pulled back very far before she dug herself into his hold again. "Can't believe you're treating me like this, Sof." He said with a scoff, Matt rolling his eyes.

"You knew there was a 50/50 shot she was gonna ignore you, you should've expected disappointment." Casey replied, tapping his hand gently over Sofia's back. "Yeah, it's not your fault, is it?" Matt continued, clearly talking to his daughter as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Severide is scary, I know."

"Oh brother." Kelly muttered under his breath, shaking his head as some more laughter was heard around the room. "This right here is why the little squirt won't let me hold her, you coddle her too much." He continued, though from his tone everyone in the room knew he was joking.

"I think you upset Uncle Kelly, Sof." Casey continued talking to his daughter, the little girl stretching out her arms before curling back into her father's chest, clearly content right where she was.

While with most people, it was pretty clear as to whether Sofia felt comfortable being held by them or not, she had been very hot and cold towards Severide, which, admittedly, Casey found a little amusing. He wasn't sure why Sofia had such polar opposites with her uncle in particular, but she just did. There were times she'd be completely fine with him, and even seek him out and want him to hold her, but then there other times, like now apparently, where she wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn't something any of them really understood, although Kelly like to attribute it to Gabby, often claiming that Sofia was 'in one of her moods, just like Dawson'. Though that was something the Lieutenant was smart enough to not say around the paramedic.

"Her and I used to have a good thing going on, but she's changed." Severide continued dramatically, an unimpressed look covering Casey's face as he raised his eyebrows.

"She's eight months old." Matt replied dryly, Kelly waving him off. "And you act like you're the only person she does this with, she acted the same way with Antonio the other day. Sometimes she just feels more comfortable with me, or Gabby. Don't be so dramatic."

"Man, it really doesn't take much these days for your 'protective dad mode' to come out, does it?" Severide asked with a chuckle, his words earning an eye roll from Casey, although the Lieutenant had a point. Matt was very protective over his family, even in situations where it didn't necessarily warrant it. "But anyway, don't think I'll forget this when you're older, Sof."

"You'll forget this the next time Sofia wants you to hold her." Stella spoke up from the kitchen, Kelly narrowing his eyes towards his girlfriend while the first responders around him laughed at his expense. "What? You're giving the Captain a hard time, acting like you're not the biggest softy when it comes to that baby."

"She has a point, Lieutenant." Cruz echoed, Kelly rolling his eyes before looking back towards Matt and Sofia, seeing his friend wearing a smug grin while Sofia's bright blue eyes were focused on him, despite the young girl still burrowed deep within her father's grip.

Blowing out a sigh, Severide shook his head before crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze softening as he continued looking at the baby. "Yeah, yeah, alright… Maybe they have a point." He conceded, Matt chuckling softly as he continued rubbing lazy patterns over his daughter's back. The movement from his laughter caused Sofia to push back away from his chest, enough that she could see her father, the baby smiling when she saw the look on her dad's face, Sofia showing off the two small teeth that had poked through her gums on the bottom row.

Kelly couldn't help but smile when he saw the look on Sofia's face, the baby beginning to smack her dad's cheeks as she went back to bouncing in his arms. Clearly, the apprehension she felt when she realized she was in a room full of new people had started to melt away, Sofia slowly beginning to act more like the energetic and rambunctious baby she'd been from the moment she was born.

"Yeah, Uncle Kelly's funny, isn't he?" Matt asked, a giggle escaping his daughter's lips as one of her fists grabbed at his shirt, the other continuing to smack her dad's cheek. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're excited."

"So, is Gabriela out?" Ramon spoke up from the couch when there was a break in the conversation, Matt adjusting Sofia's weight in his arms as he looked towards the man sitting beside Herrmann.

"They're dropping off a patient at med." Herrmann replied first, his thick accent filling the room as Ramon nodded. "Should be back pretty soon, though."

"Yeah, we finished up the call about an hour ago, so they should be back anytime." Casey added as Sofia grabbed ahold of his thumb, pulling it towards her mouth. "No, no, Sof." He murmured, the girl beginning to fuss as he pulled his hand away before she could start biting him, Matt securing the baby against him with one arm before he reached over to grab the diaper bag, the father beginning to sort through it. Quickly, he found one of her many teething rings, Matt holding it out in front of the little girl.

"Oh, sounds like they just got back." Otis spoke, Matt faintly hearing the sound of the ambo backing up as Sofia grabbed the teething ring from him, holding onto it in her little fists before bringing it towards her mouth, the baby immediately beginning to chew on it, the item in question quickly being covered in slobber, as well as some drool rolling down her chin onto her shirt.

"Yeah, that's better than chewing on Daddy, huh?" Matt murmured, rubbing his hand over Sofia's head before pressing a kiss to her forehead, Sofia completely preoccupied by the object in her hands.

Casey looked up when he heard the door open, his eyes immediately searching for his wife as he saw 51's paramedics enter the firehouse. But it was soon apparent that they were one short, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as Brett and Foster came into the common room, but Gabby was nowhere in sight.

"Hey guys." Kidd greeted, Brett giving her a nod.

"Hey… and hello Miss Sofia." Sylvie greeted the baby, rubbing over the girl's back before she continued further into the common room, Foster following behind her as Sofia looked towards the person who'd touched her before her attention refocused on the teething ring in her hands.

"Your drop off go alright? You guys were gone for awhile." Stella asked them as they got closer to her, Matt continuously looking towards the door, waiting for his wife to come in as well.

"Yeah, yeah, it was fine. We were just restocking." Foster replied, Kidd giving her a nod before going back to the snack she was eating, Matt glancing back towards the paramedics.

"Hey, where's Gabby?" He asked before they could continue talking, both Brett and Foster looking back towards him.

"She's out in the garage." Emily responded, Matt nodding before his eyes moved towards the double doors again.

Knowing there was no reason to question them any further, Matt secured Sofia in his arms before pushing himself off the table, the baby continuing to chew away happily on her teething ring as Matt moved towards the garage.

"Come on, Sof. Let's go find Momma." He spoke softly, rubbing over her back as he got to the doors. "I know she'll be excited to see you."

Pushing the door open, Matt stepped out into the garage, the decently warm April air flooding into the apparatus floor through all the open garage doors. His boots hitting the ground were the only sound that could be heard in the otherwise empty room, Sofia too preoccupied with the teething ring in her mouth to be babbling away like she normally did as Casey walked the familiar path towards the ambulance.

When the rig came into view, he saw the back doors had been left open, Matt continuing towards the ambulance, expecting to see his wife in the back. But as he came around behind the doors, his mouth open to greet her, it quickly fell shut when he saw the rig was empty, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he continued around towards the front of the rig.

"Gabby?" He asked as he walked to the passenger side door, thinking she might've been still sitting inside. "Baby, you out here?" He spoke as he got to the front, but those seats were also empty, Casey's confusion only growing as he looked back towards the firehouse.

It had quickly become apparent that, despite her having been out here when Brett and Foster came inside, Gabby had gone somewhere else in that short amount of time, Matt finding himself alone out here in the garage. Figuring they must've just missed each other, and that she was somewhere inside the firehouse, Matt blew out a sigh before walking around the front of the rig, intent on heading back to the common room.

But his path was immediately halted when he heard a strange noise coming from just outside the garage, confusion filling his features as he turned to look out into the driveway. When he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, he just assumed he was hearing things, but then he heard the sound again, Matt immediately walking in that direction when he registered what sounded like someone throwing up.

As he stepped out into the driveway, an immediate frown covered his face when he saw Gabby hunched over by the side of the house, her hand resting up against the brick wall as she emptied the contents on her stomach into the dirt and grass beneath her feet.

"Hey hey hey, Gabby." He spoke quickly, Matt rushing the few feet towards her, keeping Sofia firmly in one arm as his free hand reached out to rub her back, Gabby tensing slightly under his touch, the paramedic not having heard him come up behind her. "It's okay." He murmured soothingly, Matt wincing as he heard her gag.

Gabby relaxed the second she realized who was behind her, Matt gently pulling her ponytail back out of the way, letting her hair rest against her back before he continued rubbing soothing motions over her lower back. Her hands were resting against her knees as she waited for the nausea to pass, a grimace covering her face as she tasted the bile in the mouth, her throat burning from the continuous hacking she'd been doing for the past five minutes.

She continued to take slow breaths, her hands shaking slightly while she focused on the feeling of Matt rubbing her back, her eyes clenched tightly as felt sweat gathering on her forehead.

"You alright?" Matt asked cautiously, the frown never disappearing from his face as he adjusted Sofia in his grip, the baby still completely distracted by the teething ring in her hands, unaware of the fact that her mother was just inches away from her.

"Yeah, yeah-" She cut herself off as she cleared her throat, Gabby spitting out the last of the bile in her mouth before she slowly stood up straight, the paramedic ignoring the pounding pressure in her head. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Taking a deep breath, Gabby turned around with the intention of assuring him that she was okay, but her train of thought got derailed when she saw the baby in her husband's arms, Sofia being the last thing she was expecting to see as she faced Matt.

"What's Sof doing here?" She asked as she cleared her throat again, Matt's worried eyes never leaving her as his gaze trailed over her body, the firefighter looking for any other signs of distress. But when he saw none, he eventually met her eyes again, Matt's face softening before he answered her question.

"Your dad is here, he decided to stop by with Sof." He responded, Gabby giving him a nod. "I guess they went to the park just down the road, and he figured he'd bring her by." Matt added, Gabby forcing a weak smile before looking towards her baby, reaching out to run her hand over Sofia's back. "...What's wrong?"

Gabby looked away from Sofia back towards her husband, seeing that same look of worry that he usually wore whenever she or their daughter were concerned, Dawson shaking her head as she ran her fingers lightly through Sofia's curly hair, the baby continuing to babble while she chewed on her toy.

"Nothing, I just got sick." She replied softly, her voice sounding a little hoarse as she spoke.

The second those words left her mouth, she could tell her husband wasn't convinced, Matt's eyes narrowing in concern as he lifted his free hand up to her face, resting the back of his hand over her forehead. His frowned deepened when he felt the sweat building up on her skin, Matt shaking his head as he did what he could to check her temperature.

"Matt, I'm fine-"

"You don't seem fine." He interjected quickly. Moving his hand down from her forehead, he rested his palm over her cheek, Gabby knowing he was doing this more for comfort than anything else, the paramedic taking a slow breath as she let herself relax into his touch. "Do you still feel nauseous?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head slowly. "You wanna go into the garage? Get out of the heat?"

While it wasn't all that hot outside, Gabby's skin felt pretty warm to him, and he didn't want her out in the sun any longer than she had to be. But he also didn't want to try and take her inside if she was still feeling a little unsteady.

"Yeah, that's fine." She replied, Matt dropping his hand as she began to walk back towards the rig.

He stayed close to her, trying to gauge her condition as she walked slowly into the garage, Matt keeping a hand on her back as they moved towards the ambulance, the small family coming to a stop by the open back doors.

"Why don't you sit down." He suggested gently, Gabby nodding as she sat down onto the floor of the rig, her feet resting against the ground as Matt perched his foot up on the step. "...So you just felt sick?" He asked as he kept his eyes on her, Gabby giving him another nod as he tried to understand what exactly happened.

"Yeah… It kind of just hit me out of nowhere when we got back. But I'm alright, I don't feel sick anymore." She replied, clearing her throat again after she spoke, Gabby still trying to get the taste of vomit out of her mouth.

"Have you been feeling sick at all?" He asked, Gabby raising her eyebrows, wondering why he was pressing this so much. "I mean, you haven't mentioned anything about not feeling well lately, but I'm just trying to check off all the boxes here." He added with a soft grin, Gabby shaking her head slightly in response. "Or, uh-" He cut himself off, clearing his throat before continuing. "You're not hurt or anything, are you?" He questioned, confusion covering her features as she waited for him to elaborate. "From the call… I know you said you were okay, but are you sure? You were in that car for awhile." Matt finished, Gabby pursing her lips together as she shook her head again.

"No, I'm alright… If anything, I might've just gotten overheated, from being in the car and everything." She replied softly, Matt nodding in understanding. "But I feel better now. Promise."

There was a flash of something he couldn't read that flickered in her eyes, but as quickly as he noticed it, it was gone, Matt knowing better than to push any harder right now. He knew if something were actually wrong, she'd tell him, so he dropped it, the firefighter placing his foot back on the ground before moving to sit down beside her in the back of the ambulance.

Before he could even get situated, Sofia began wriggling around in his arms, the baby having finally noticed her mother's presence, sounds of frustration leaving her lips as she reached out towards her mom but couldn't get to her.

"Hi baby." Gabby cooed, reaching out to take Sofia from her husband's arms, Matt skillfully catching the slobbery teething ring as Sofia dropped it in the handoff before it could hit the ground. As soon as Sofia was in her mom's grasp, she cuddled into Gabby's chest, the little girl content to just be with her mom for a moment as she held onto Gabby's shirt tightly.

"Yeah, you'll help Momma feel better, won't you, Sof?" Matt murmured, Gabby smiling softly as her husband reached out to rub along Sofia's back, the baby nuzzling herself against her mom, her head buried against Gabby's neck.

The family sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Matt having wrapped his arm around her back, his hand rubbing lightly up and down her side as they enjoyed this quiet moment together. But, even in their silence, she could feel him holding something back. Like there was something he wanted to tell her, but he wasn't saying it, Gabby feeling his eyes focused on her intensely.

"Matt…" She eventually spoke, turning towards him as a sheepish look covered his face, Gabby shaking her head slightly. "What is it?"

"What?"

"Whatever you're wanting to say, what is it?" She repeated, Matt raising his eyebrows as his tongue ran along his lower lip, Gabby raising her eyebrows challengingly as well, Casey releasing a soft sigh before giving in.

"It's nothing, I just… If you're not feeling well, I can go talk to Boden." He told her, Gabby pursing her lips together as she realized just how concerned he was after finding her outside the firehouse. "And I know your dad wouldn't mind dropping you off at home."

"Matt…"

"I don't want you working if you're not feeling well." He continued worriedly. "Our jobs are dangerous enough as is, I don't want to risk something happening because you're sick. If you really are feeling better, then okay… But if you're not, I think you going home is worth considering."

"Babe, I'm alright." She told him for what felt like the fiftieth time, Matt eyeing her skeptically. "Really, I am. I'd tell you if I weren't."

He could hear the slight edge in her voice, Matt knowing she was getting a little frustrated with him, the firefighter nodding as he rested his hand on her hip.

"Okay… You know I'm gonna worry about you, but I'm sorry you got sick." He replied, running his teeth along his bottom lip before continuing. "And I'm sorry for being overbearing." He added with a soft smile, Gabby scoffing lightly as he leaned into his side.

"It's alright. It's not like that's surprising." She responded teasingly, Matt's smirk widening before he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to the side of her head. "I love you." She murmured as he pulled back, Matt bringing his free hand up to rest over hers that was holding Sofia against her chest, Casey nodding softly.

"I love you too." He replied as the small family continued to sit together in the back of the ambulance, wanting to enjoy this quiet moment they had before it was sure to get interrupted by citizens out in Chicago who might need their help.

"I bet you're feeling a lot better now, huh Sof?" Matt asked as his daughter laid on the bed, the father gently drying her off with her towel as she wriggled around beneath him. Casey had just finished giving the little girl a much needed bath, Matt reaching for the clean diaper he'd grabbed seconds prior before putting it on her, Sofia beginning to chew on her fist while her dad got her dressed.

About half an hour ago, shortly after Matt had finished feeding Sofia, which mostly consisted of her playing with the food while he tried to get her to eat it, as he was beginning to clean up, the baby had accidentally made quite the mess through her diaper. It wasn't pretty, and it had led to Matt immediately taking her to get a bath, knowing him cleaning up the carnage from lunch time would have to wait, as this was much more pressing.

It was something that had happened plenty of times since she was born, Matt completely unfazed by any of Sofia's bodily functions at this point, but it was the timing of this one that Casey didn't like so much, seeing as how Gabby had been out on the apartment when it happened. Normally in these situations, if the mess got on more than just their baby, which of course this time it had, one of them would clean the baby while the other cleaned up the aftermath. But with Matt on his own this afternoon, cleaning up her high chair had to wait as his first priority was Sofia.

"Your Momma's gonna be glad she missed that one, baby." He continued talking to his daughter as he lathered her skin with lotion, which was something they always did after bath time, Sofia babbling away as he gently rubbed over her chest and stomach. "Which, speaking of, I wonder when she's gonna be back… she really timed that well, didn't she?"

When Gabby had abruptly left the apartment earlier today while Matt was playing with Sofia, she didn't say much as to where she was going, just that she had some errands she needed to run, and that she'd be back later. But he didn't expect her running out for a few errands to mean she'd be gone for nearly three hours. And though he had planned on calling her once he finished feeding Sofia, just to make sure she was alright, those plans quickly changed, for obvious reasons, and he hadn't got the chance to reach out yet. But he definitely wanted to.

Since they'd gotten home from shift this morning, there had been a weird feeling in the air around them, Gabby being a little distant from him. He wasn't sure why, but she'd been acting kind of strange around him for the past week or so, really ever since she'd gotten sick at the firehouse last week. It was a little weird, he could tell something had been bothering her but she hadn't mentioned whatever it was, so he figured it best to just wait it out. Pushing her in situations like these never worked out well, and even though Gabby didn't shut down the way she used to, she still needed to do things in her own time. It was just who she was, and he'd never try to change that. But he had tried to do a good job of subtly reminding her he was here to talk, if anything was ever bothering her, although he wasn't sure just how subtle he was actually being.

But regardless, whatever had her acting a little off, he knew she'd come to him if she needed to. For now, he was more interested in knowing where she'd run off to a few hours ago, and when she'd be back.

"Alright my sweet girl," He started as he slid her arms into her onesie, completing the task of getting her dressed as he zipped up the clothing. "Let's go play and wait for Momma, alright? Hopefully you'll be able to see her before nap time." He spoke lightly, Sofia squealing at the sound of his voice, Matt hovering over her before pressing multiple kisses all over her face and her stomach. Loving the attention, Sofia began nearly screaming from excitement, Matt continuing to kiss her all over her face, the loud giggles from his baby like music to his ears.

They continued this game for a few minutes before Matt picked her up, Sofia babbling away as he carried her out of the bedroom, the little girl looking around at her familiar surroundings while Matt took in the sight of the mess left behind.

He knew he needed to clean up, but before he did, there was something else he wanted to do first, Matt walking the few steps towards the counter to grab his phone. Seeing he still didn't have any missed calls or texts from his wife, he quickly called her, Matt putting the phone up to his ear as he felt Sofia smacking her hand against his chest.

He waited and waited for her to pick up, but she never did, the call eventually going to voicemail, Matt sighing as he hung up the phone, putting it back down on the counter before looking towards his daughter.

"Okay Sof, you're gonna have to give Daddy a second to clean all this up while we wait for Momma to come home." He told her, Matt walking towards the living room to get a few things he knew he'd need. Grabbing her play-mat, he carried it over towards the kitchen, placing it down right in front of the entrance to their bedroom before sitting Sofia down on top of it. From here, he had the perfect view of her from pretty much everyone in the apartment, but especially from the kitchen. He could keep an eye on her while he got this mess cleaned up, and just as importantly, Sofia could see him. While she preferred being held over pretty much anything else, she was usually okay if she could still see her parents, which meant Matt would have some time to get this place cleaned up as he waited for Gabby to get back.

Sofia sat there while her dad moved back towards the living room to grab a few toys for her, the baby having mastered the art of sitting up on her own, her curious eyes watching her father closely as he came back with a few of her favorite blocks, one of her favorite toys that lit up and made noise whenever she'd hit it, and a very beloved stuffed animal, Matt knowing those would keep her occupied long enough for him to clean the kitchen.

After giving Sofia her toys, and seeing the baby was immediately interested in what had been placed in front of her, Matt began the process of cleaning up the mess Sofia had made. He started with her highchair, wiping that down as thoroughly as he possibly could, the father hearing sounds of excitement coming from his daughter as her toy continued making noise whenever she pressed against the different buttons. He spared glances her way occasionally while he cleaned up, Matt needing visual confirmation that his little girl was okay even though he could hear her playing.

It took about ten minutes for him to get her highchair cleaned, and for him to get the food that Sofia had been playing with off the floor, the area looking relatively spotless considering the mess it had endured nearly an hour ago. Blowing out a heavy breath, Matt eyed the dishes that were piling up in the sink, Casey knowing that he should probably work on cleaning those up while he had the time. With Sofia occupied, he knew it would be smart to go ahead and get the rest of the kitchen taken care of so they wouldn't have to do it later, even though it wasn't something he necessarily liked doing.

But just as he was about to start working on those, he heard the music Sofia's toy was playing abruptly stop, Matt turning to look back towards his baby, seeing Sofia still smacking the toy with her little hands.

"Oh boy." He muttered under his breath, knowing Sofia was not going to be happy that her toy wasn't working. And his assumption was quickly proven correct as Sofia immediately began fussing the moment she understood that her toy had stopped playing music and lighting up, despite her still hitting against it over and over.

Knowing his few moments of time where Sofia was distracted were now over, Matt walked back to his baby, the little girl clearly becoming frustrated at the situation.

"What happened, Sof?" He asked as he crouched down beside her mat, the girl's fussing quieting slightly when she noticed her dad's presence. Matt tested the toy out quickly, pressing down against a few of the buttons that usually got it to play sounds or light up, but none of them were working. Knowing the toy wasn't that old, Sofia only having had it for maybe a month or two, Matt quickly figured that they must've just put some bad batteries in it, the father looking towards his daughter as she reached out towards him, clearly wanting to be picked up. "Come here." He murmured, grabbing ahold of her underneath her arms and picking her up, Matt grabbing the toy once she was settled in his grasp before he stood up off the ground. "Let's see if new batteries can get this thing working again, huh? Then you can have your toy back and Daddy can finish cleaning up the kitchen." He spoke to her as if they were having a conversation, Sofia's fussing having subsided once she was comfortably in her dad's arms, the baby distracted by her fist that she was currently chewing on as Matt walked over towards the counter by their back door. "Alright, last I checked we kept our batteries in here somewhere." He breathed out as he pulled open the first drawer, Matt rifling through it.

He continued the process through a few drawers, the father unable to find what he was looking for. As he got to the last one, he pulled it open, moving things around in search of some batteries. But he couldn't find any. Moving his hand towards the back of the drawer in one last effort to try and find the thing that would make his daughter happy, he was disappointed to not feel any batteries, but there was something else that caught his attention, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he grabbed onto what felt like paper. Considering this was a drawer where they kept scissors, tape, pens, and apparently not any batteries, he found that to be a little odd, Matt assuming some piece of paperwork had accidentally gotten placed in here as he pulled out whatever it was.

But he was quickly proven wrong when he saw the envelope in his hand, his confusion growing when he read his name that was printed across the front.

Matt wasn't exactly sure what he was looking at. With no postage, and simply just his first name written across the front of the white envelope, this wasn't something that had been mailed here. And judging by the fact he most definitely recognized the writing to be Gabby's, it was clear this was something she had written to him.

Something she'd written, but hadn't given him.

Turning it over, he saw the envelope was sealed shut, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth as he tried to think of what this could possibly be.

What would she write him but not just tell him? Why would she have hidden it away instead of giving it to him? How long ago had she written it?

None of this was really making that much sense to him, but regardless of his questions, the only thing he did know was that this was a letter to him from his wife. And he wasn't sure if it was something he should open or not.

But he didn't have time to think over what he should do as he heard the familiar sound of the front door unlocking, Matt quickly shoving the letter back into the drawer out of instinct just as Gabby stepped inside their home. She didn't see him at first, even though they had a straight view of one another, Matt quickly shutting the drawer as she closed their front door, the father walking with Sofia towards the living room.

Gabby noticed him as soon as she began to walk further into their home, Matt seeing that his presence took her by surprise as her eyes widened slightly before she relaxed, Gabby flashing him a small, albeit weak, smile as she placed her bag on the table by the front door.

"Hey." She greeted before kicking off her shoes, Matt adjusting Sofia in his arms as he walked to meet up with her in the living room.

"Hello… I was about to send out a search party, I wasn't sure where you went." He spoke lightly, Gabby rolling her eyes as she came to a stop less than a foot away from him, her hand reaching out to rub over Sofia's back.

"What were you guys up to?" She asked, completely ignoring his comment as the baby noticed her mother's presence, Sofia practically lunging into Gabby's arms.

Matt's eyebrows furrowed slightly when she dodged his words about where she'd been, but he chose not to focus on it, the husband smiling softly as he watched Sofia hold onto her mom tightly, the baby smacking lightly against Gabby's chest as she was excited to be with her mom, clearly having forgotten all about her frustration with her toy minutes prior. "Well, we had quite the morning." He told her as they moved towards the couch, Matt's hand ghosting over her back as they walked.

"Oh you did, huh?" She asked as she made herself comfortable, Matt sitting down beside his wife and baby.

"We sure did… We watched some cartoons, played for a bit… Sofia ate pretty well, even though half of it ended up on the floor. Then after she ate, well- she made a mess." He told her, Gabby nodding in understanding as Sofia sat in her lap, the little girl facing her parents. "So we got her all cleaned up. And I was working on cleaning the kitchen when you got here." He finished, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she gently bounced her legs up and down, Sofia thoroughly enjoying the movement.

"So you weren't kidding, you really did have quite the morning." She repeated his earlier words, Matt scoffing lightly as he shook his head, the husband bringing his arm up to rest on the back of the couch, his hand moving to massage her scalp lightly.

"Yeah, we did… Speaking of, do you know if we have batteries?" He asked, lifting up Sofia's toy that was still in his free hand, Gabby raising her eyebrows before nodding towards their desk in the living room.

"There should be some in there." She replied, Matt glancing back to the direction she'd gestured before nodding.

"Ah yes, the place I didn't look. Of course." He responded jokingly, his words earning a chuckle from his wife as she shook her head. "Her toy stopped working, so I was looking for some. But I didn't make it that far, yet." He added, swallowing thickly as his mind went back to the letter he found, Matt trying to decide if it was something he should bring up right now or not.

He was curious, and wanted to know about whatever was in that letter. But as he saw the exhaustion written across her face, combined with how strange she'd been acting as of late, he figured it was best to just drop it for now, though forgetting about it was much easier said than done.

"Yeah, there should be some in there." She replied, her voice snapping him from his thoughts. "And if there's not, we'll get some… We can't have that toy out of commission for too long, Sof loves it too much."

Nodding in agreement, Matt relaxed back into the couch, placing the toy on the cushion beside him as Gabby fell into his side, a calm quiet falling over them aside from the noise coming from the TV that was still playing Sofia's cartoons that had never gotten turned off. There was still a bit of a weird feeling in the air between them, but Matt couldn't tell if that was just from him, and his curiosity at whatever was going on with his wife, or if she was feeling the same uneasiness he was.

But regardless, he ignored it for now as he pressed a soft kiss against the side of her head, Matt feeling her relax more into him as they cuddled together on the couch. Whatever was going on, they would talk about it, and soon, but right now he just wanted to enjoy some nice peaceful time with his wife and his baby, and forget about everything else.